Intentions" Part 7
by DTroi57
Summary: seventh part of the second story of the "Enemy's Mask" Trilogy


Chapter 37

Will and Deanna had made it to the outer perimeter of "B Block", and had found a deserted room in which they could rest. Will eased himself into a well padded chair and tried to catch his breath. Deanna eased her body to the floor, trying to get comfortable. The ache in her back had worsened, causing a bolt of agony every time she moved. So far the twins seemed unaffected, moving vigorously within her. Images of the last few days kept intruding into her thoughts. The Romulan had affected her more than he realized. Deanna felt the same feeling of fear, disorientation and depression, that she'd felt when she'd first awakened on the Enterprise nearly a year ago. Will was in this condition because of her. Plain and simple. Bastrok hurt him, in order to get revenge on her. Will would be better off on his own. Bastrok wanted her. He would work hardest to find HER. Deanna decided then to go back to him, maybe then he'd let Will go, and she'd be able to convince him to let her babies live. Nothing was certain, except that she knew that she had to try. Hot tears filled her eyes at the thought of leaving Will. She loved him so, and they'd had so little time together. He would die if he didn't get medical attention soon. He had serious injuries, possibly internal injuries...he needed help. Time had run out...

"Will, at least let me bind your ribs...you'll be more comfortable. This place looks like it had once been an infirmary...I'll see if I can find some tape, or something else to bind you up with. If I don't find anything here. I know where to go. I saw a room down the hall...I'll check there." Will looked down at her then...searching her face, her eyes. He was looking for something, probing her...

"Deanna ElizabethTroi Riker...don't even consider what it is that you are considering! You can't go back, under no circumstances do you go back to him." Will's eyes, though swollen, were still piercing, they could see into her very soul. He knew. He had seen it in her eyes. Deanna drew herself up as straight as her aching body would allow, and met those eyes.

"I have to go...you can make it on your own, he'll let you go, it's me he wants." Deanna's voice held little emotion, she had none left to give.

"No, Dammit! I won't let you sacrifice yourself or OUR children. Think Deanna! Think about the babies! He'll abort them, first thing. He wants you to hurt you and then use you, for revenge, nothing more...he won't let you carry them to term. They'll die, and so will you. What will I gain if you go back? Nothing. What will you gain? Nothing. If you go back there...he wins. Because you see, if you die, and the twins die...I'll die too!" Will had managed to stand and cross to where she sat on the floor, he groaned in pain as he lowered himself to sit beside her. He raised her chin, meeting her eyes, he grabbed her arm with his good hand and shook her none too gently, "Do you understand what I am saying? I am NOT leaving here without the three of you!" Deanna looked up into the eyes of the man she would give her life for, and knew...knew that the tiny lives within her deserved a chance, and that she had to give it to them. They would need both of their parents. They could sort everything out when, or if they returned to the ship. Until then...they had to stay together.

"Please, imzadi. don't do this for me, or for yourself...do it for them." Will put his hand over the rounded swell of her belly as one of the babies kicked hard enough for him to feel it. His eyes jumped to hers, and her hand closed over his.

"All right. I won't go back. Now let's bind your ribs." Will leaned on her shoulder and hauled his big frame back to the chair. Deanna rummaged through the drawers and cabinet, coming up with a wide roll of elastoplast, (an emergency splinting material), tape and a small emergency medkit. There was a small dermal regenerator in the kit, which she used to heal the gash on Will's forehead. After wards, she turned her attention to Will's ribs.

"Will, take a deep breath....," He inhaled, wincing as he did so......

"Hold it, while I tape your ribs." Will sat trembling as she wrapped his ribs with several layers of elastoplast. When she'd finished, he actually felt better, the support of the wrap making it easier to move. Though he'd still be considerably slower, he'd be better off than without the dressing. Deanna suddenly whitened, and clutched at the edge of the table. A hand went to her back, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. The pain was intense, something was very wrong. She leaned against the table, gasping for breath. Will waited until the spasm seemed to pass, then turned her...

"Let me see the bruise." He looked up at her bruised face, at her cut lip, and reached for her hand.

"Will, really, it's nothing, just a bruise. I'll be fine." Will's gaze didn't waver holding her captive with his eyes. He knew that she was in pain...real pain, and didn't want him to worry. She was trying to protect him...again. Will took her hand and drew her to stand between his thighs.

"Imzadi...I feel your pain, there's no way that you can hide it from me. Now let me see the bruise." Deanna was too weak, to protest when he loosened the back of her dress to expose her back. Will gasped at the condition of his wife's lower back and right buttock. Large blue-black bruises marred her white flesh. He could actually see the pattern from the bottom of Bastrok's boot on the skin of her lower back. He'd been brutal. The bruises were deep red around the edges, with a large whitened area in their center...hematomas...severe, deep bruises, that could cause blood clots, if not carefully monitored and cared for. Her kidney was probably bruised as well. He hoped it wasn't anything worse.

"You should have told me how bad these bruises were, Dee. Have you had any blood in your urine?" She looked up at him with pain filled eyes...

"Yes, since last night." Will closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them and raised his good hand to cup her cheek.

"You must be in a great deal of pain...you shouldn't be moving around." Deanna looked over her shoulder at him...

"Neither should you, but we have to get away from here. Now."

"Can you sense anything?" Will asked, already knowing the answer.

"No...just you...and the babies. Will?" He looked at her, "The babies are fine." Will pulled her close and hugged her gently...

"Thanks for telling me...Let's get going." Deanna administered a mild pain med for each of them, then gathered up the meager medical supplies into a towel . "Let's get moving. They'll be coming for us."

On the opposite side of the compound Bastrok led Matthews and the lawyer on their search for the missing prisoners. They searched carefully, checking every room, closet turbolift...anywhere a person could possibly hide. So far, they'd found nothing..not a trace of the lovely Betazoid or her husband. Bastrok was becoming more enraged by the minute. Matthews was beginning to wish he'd never met the man...and the lawyer...well, what had happened between them had been inconsequential. The interlude meant little to him except for momentary gratification. It wouldn't happen again, not here, and certainly not on the outside; if they were lucky enough to get out of this hell hole. Seeing this through to it's conclusion was beginning to lose its appeal. He wouldn't get Andrea or the boys back by hurting Riker and his wife...so what was the point? He sighed and turned to listen to what Bas was saying.

"Get the sensors up...we'll track lifesigns...Dammit Matthews...do something!"

Matthews looked at the Romulan closely...he was sweating profusely, licking his lips...the man was a wreck. Chase suspected that Bastrok was a ticking time bomb....that sometime soon, he'd blow. The Riker's would most likely be his target...if he found them. Matthews recalled the tenacity with which Will Riker approached every test of survival at the academy. Nothing got the best of the man. He had been quick witted then, always full of creative ways to beat astronomical odds. He'd surpassed most of their classmates in classes requiring less than orthodox thinking. He hoped in a way that Will hadn't lost that ability, and that he would find a way out of this mess. Especially now that his wife and their unborn children had been brought into the picture. Chase Matthews knew he had no quarrel with DeannaRiker or her children, they were the innocents, and deserved to survive. He hoped that Will was smart enough to pull it off. He turned to meet the Romulan's eyes...

"I already told you...most of this place is without power exept for a small fusion generator...it powers the dampening field. That field keeps us all invisible to anyone scanning for the Riker's, and by now you can bet that every structure within 500 kilometers of the Central Station is being scanned, possibly even from orbit! If I power down the generator so that we can use the sensors or even a tricorder...they'll find us too. You want to be discovered?? I don't...but of course you'll decide what happens." Bastrok slammed a fist into the wall beside him...

"No...let's just keep looking...and keep your eyes open...they couldn't have gotten all the way across to B Block...it's too far, and both of them were injured. Let's look in D Block." Matthews sighed softly...Something told him that Will Riker would have headed in the most logical direction....north...after he'd left his cell, straight past Deanna's cell, and on down the main corridor...right into B Block. True it was the most dangerous, because of the long straight corridors, that left them wide open to anyone moving around in the building..but as a starfleet officer, Will would have taken the most direct route out of anywhere. Chase would bet his life that Will and Deanna Riker were sitting right now in B Block...resting and gathering their strength. Without protest however, he shouldered his phaser rifle and followed Bastrok and Parsef to D Block, in the opposite direction of B Block and the direction he was somehow sure that the Rikers had gone.

************

"Will? I have to stop and rest for a moment...I'm feeling queasy and dizzy." Will turned to Deanna, not realizing that she had fallen a few steps behind him...He looked closely. Her complexion was white, her eyes wide. She was leaning against the wall, a hand on her back. He walked quickly back to stand beside her.

"Is the pain worse?" Deanna's face was beaded with perspiration, and her lips were thinned into a narrow line. She nodded silently. "I'm.....sorry." Will gently cupped her cheek...

"Dee, when will you realize that none of this is your fault? This Romulan bastard is insane...you didn't bring this upon me, yourself or anyone else." He watched as she closed her eyes, and swayed on her feet. When she opened them again, the fear was repplaced with pain...

"I'm all right now. Let's keep moving." She pushed herself away from the wall and took three or four steps, and collapsed. Will moved as fast as he was able, to kneel beside her. Feeling her pulse he found it rapid and fairly strong, but her skin was clammy to the touch. "Damn!" He muttered...as internal bleeding was the first thought to enter his mind. Then he recalled that Deanna hadn't eaten anything for nearly 36 hours..."Blood sugar!" That he knew he could fix...as long as they could find food, or at least fruit or juice. There had to be a kitchen or a replicator here somewhere...the problem being...where? Deanna sighed and stirred...opening her eyes...

"Will? What...happened? Did I ..."

"You fainted. Deanna we have to find something for you to eat. Your blood sugar must be very low...you're hypoglycemic and that's not good for you OR the babies. Let's find a room that isn't locked, then I'll go look for food." Deanna's face paled...she didn't want to be alone...but Will would have a better chance alone...without her slowing him down. Swallowing her fear...she nodded.

"Alright." He looked down at her bruised face, and battered body and brushed her hair away from her face.

"Imzadi, when we get home, I'm taking you on a long vacation...somewhere warm, quiet and peaceful. Away from family, friends and all of our problems. You deserve some time to be at peace...we can be together without anyone disturbing us. How does that sound?" Deanna smiled weakly...

"It sounds wonderful, if Beverly will let me out of her sight for any length of time." Will smiled and bent to kiss her, making sure to avoid the swollen area on her lower lip.

"I love you Dee."

"I know, and I love you too."

Will helped her to her feet and put a steadying arm around her shoulders. they walked silently down the dim corridor, methodically checking doors. The sound of their feet and their breathing were the only sounds to be heard. Deanna swayed into Will's bruised ribs as she felt weakness flow over her every few minutes. She was shaky, and perspiring, feeling as though her knees would buckle any second. But he never once complained...just gasped and hugged her close, readjusting her body so that she didn't hit where it hurt the most. They had covered four corridors with 16 doors on each, in just under 45 minutes.

"64 doors, Will...64 doors and they're all locked. What are we going to do?" Will looked down at her then, Deanna's hair was sticking to her face and neck in wet ringlets, her complexion even paler than before and she was visibly shaking. Will stopped and pulled her close...

"We'll go over there," he pointed across the corridor, "and try door number 65. Look Dee, that one is open! Come on sweetheart, just a little further. This is the last one, I promise. I'm tired...and my ribs hurt. We'll stop here and get some rest." He looked down at his wife, and saw tears of exhaustion and pain in her eyes. Dark smudges had formed beneath them, and she was trembling.

"I can make it, I just need to sleep for a bit, then we can go on...I want to get as far away from here as possible."

Will pushed aside the door and looked inside...the room had windows! True they were of smoked glass, and filtered the light, but at least they could see the sun. It was still daylight, but because of the window treatment, it was difficult to judge just how late in the day it was. He looked around the perimeter of the room and felt his spirits lift as he took in the furniture that cluttered the room. All he could see of it was white dust covers, forming lumpy irregular shapes in the dimly lit room. He let Deanna precede him into the dimness, and then closed the door behind them. He walked painfully over to the nearest object and began to pull the cover from it. Deanna stood in the center of the room, numb with fatigue and pain. All she could think about was finally being able to lie down, and close her eyes. Her entire body hurt...the twins were quiet...and her back...gods it hurt! She had all she could do not to scream with the pain...Will had enough to worry about without her adding to his burden. He looked terrible, with his nose and eyes all swollen and bruised. If he knew how much pain she had, he'd just start to be overprotective...and get distracted, especially if he realized that the babies might be in jeopardy too. Deanna's breath caught as she thought about her babies...this pain...was so intense...she wasn't entirely sure that her pregnancy wasn't involved. They had been quiet for quite a while, causing her to fear that something was wrong. She was drawn fron her musings by Will's exclamation of relief..

He'd pulled the white cover from a large sofa...one that looked wide enough to allow two people to sleep side by side upon it.

"This is incredible luck, Dee. These sofas open to a full sized bed! At least it looks like the right type. We had one on our dorm room at the Academy, my senior year, and in our cabin in Valdez...remember? I'll try to open it...then you'll be able to lie down, while I look for food." Deanna just folded her arms above her belly and nodded. She was totally exhausted, unable to think clearly any longer. Will found the controls to open the bed, and looked over at his wife as the bed unfolded itself and opened to a double bed, white sheets were already tucked around what looked to be a fairly thick mattress. She looked as though she were ready to faint again.

"Deanna, come and sit on the bed, while I look for bedding." He gestured, "Come on over here." He waited while she walked to where he stood, and sat down slowly. When she was seated, he went around taking the covers from other objects...almost shouting for joy, when he found an entire case of emergency rations! They had food, and a place to rest...all they needed to do was find a way to secure the door, sit quietly and rest for a couple of hours until they moved on. Will found blankets and pillows in a closet of what appeared to be a personal bathroom, along with several sets of light green duty scrubs. He took the clothing and bedding into the other room and returned to Deanna's side.

"This room must have been intended as living quarters...Dee. Here." She nodded, and accepted the clothing, but again didn't speak. Will felt a jolt of fear...

"Deanna, are you all right? Nevermind...come on, let me get you settled in and get you something to eat. You'll feel better then.

"All right. " she whispered. She put the scrubs on the foot of the bed, and slipped the dress from her body. It fell in a pool at her feet, to be kicked away into a nearby corner. Deanna didn't bother to try and hide her bruises from him...he'd seen the worst of them, and she was just too tired to bother with the pretense that everything was fine. Will handed her the loose fitting top from the scrubs and helped her to ease it over the most senstive of the bruises on her back and shoulders. Deanna slipped the pants on and rolled the pantlegs four or five times to expose her feet. When that was accomplished, she took two pillows and lay down, carefully avoiding the deep bruising on her right side. Will watched anxiously as she closed her eyes and was still. He changed as quickly as his battered body would allow, then opened a case of rations. Crackers and strawberry jam were the first two items to fall from the pack. He turned to Deanna to offer her the snack, and discovered that she'd already fallen asleep. Easing himself down to sit beside her on the bed, Will looked down into Deanna's face. Even asleep, he could see that she was in pain, her lips were drawn into a thin line, and tiny frown lines were drawn between her brows. He had to get her out of here and find a doctor for her. He reached out and curved a hand over her abdomen, where the twins were nestled, and waited patiently. He was rewarded by a few strong kicks from one or both of the babies, causing him to chuckle softly.

"I'll get you out of here Little Ones". Daddy won't let anything happen to you." He sat there for several minutes enjoying the antics of the babies, then brushed the hair from Deanna's face and got up to secure the door. Will checked the corridor, and found it quiet and empty. He closed the door and secured the locking mechanism. With any luck, should someone happen to come down this corridor, they'd be none the wiser that he and Deanna were in this room. It was locked from the outside, now, just as the other 64 doors had been. He slipped into the bed beside Deanna, and lay quietly on his back. The throbbing in his wrist had subsided to a dull ache since Deanna had applied a thick layer of elastoplast and fashioned a sling from a square of the sheet. His ribs still hurt, but not as much as they did before they'd been bound. All in all, he felt tired and sore, but reassured that he didn't have any serious internal iinjuries. Now all they needed was a little luck, and nothing short of a miracle to get them out of this.

Chapter 38

Erik Pressman exited the transport vehicle and rounded it to assist his passenger in getting out on the other side. He leaned into the vehicle and extended his hand to the woman inside. Sadie took the proferred hand and slipped from the transport. She moved aside to allow Erik to close the door. He paused to look at her, taking in the beauty of her face, thinking how he's overlooked her loveliness in his haste to find revenge. Sadie was a remarkable woman, who had found the strength to do what he himself had been unable to do.

"Come on Erik, we don't have much time...Bastrok is going to kill them...They may have been too seriously injured to get away." Pressman hung back...he knew that this would be the end of his career, and possibly the end of his life as a free man. Sadie sensed his indecision, and tugged on his arm...

"You know that it's the right thing to do...and you promised that you'd do it for me. I want us to start our life together with a clean slate." She moved to stand before him...reaching up to kiss his cheek...

"Please Erik...Let's go inside." Erik pulled her close for a brief hug, then turned with her to walk up the narrow side walk to the front door of the bungalow. Captian Jean Luc Picard opened the door, at his knock. A smile of welcome creased his features as he stepped back to welcome Erik into the house. That smile vanished when he saw Sadie standing just behind Pressman on the steps. An elegant eyebrow rose above his right eye.

"Captian Pressman, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?" Picard stepped back a bit more to allow the two visitors entrance to the living room. he turned cold eyes upon Sadie...

"Young lady, I would like to know exactly where you took Deanna Riker, and I want to know immediately. Then I will call the magistrate and have you arrested." Sadie opened her mouth and then closed it as if she'd changed her mind. Pressman stepped in, and came to her defense...

"Captain Picard, Sadie and I have already called the magistrate and asked him to meet us here. We came to tell you everything...what happened to Will and Deanna, and why. That's the reason that we came to see you sir." Picard looked at the two of them, confusion and anger mixing on his face. He gestured to the two of them, indicating the couch. They sat side by side, neither speaking immediately.

"I hope this is relevant to the disappearance of my two officers. There's been no trace of either of them for nearly four days. The Enterprise sensors have also been unable to locate them." He turned as Pressman stood up and began to pace, Sadie sat quietly, her eyes on her folded hands.

"Captain, please try to understand my position...I'd rather wait for the magistrate to arrive, so I only have to tell this story once." Sadie reached out and squeezed his hand..

"Erik, I didn't come here to wait for some bumbling local official to screw this up." She turned to Picard,"I came back here to take you to Commander Riker and his wife. They are both injured...beaten by a Romulan out for revenge against Mrs. Riker. He's been mistreating both if them for days. He coerced me into helping him, using drugs and subliminal torture. Erik had introduced me to the man as part of his scheme in the border attacks. We cajn fill in all of the details later...right now you have to come with us...to the place that the Riker's are being held. We have to find them first...because if Bastrok finds them, he'll kill them." Picard weighed the woman's words carefully...she had decieved him before, and he wouldn't be fooled again.

"Please captain...he'll hurt her again...he wants her to feel the pain he felt when he learned that his brother was dead!" Sadie was mortified to find her eyes filled with tears...please, Captain." Picard sighed...

"Alright!"

Picard to Enterprise...>>

Enterprise...Data here Captain.>>

Mr. Data, I have Captain Pressman and a young woman here who claim to know the whereabouts of Commander Riker and the Counsellor. Have Mr. Worf beam down with a security team immediately...Picard out.>>

Acknowledged Captain...Data out.>>   
  


In the confines of the small room, Will sat watching Deanna sleep. They had to move, but given a choice, he wanted to let her sleep until the last possible moment. Staying here was dangerous...the Romulan was far too intelligent to be fooled for long. By now, he'd realized that they'd headed north, and would soon be dogging their footsteps. With a deep regret he reached out to wake her.

"I'm awake, Will. It's time for us to move on isn't it?" Deanna moved carefully to lie on her back, taking a deep breath as her eyes met his in the gathering darkness. "We've stayed far too long, haven't we?"

"Yes, we need to get moving. Bastrok will be on his way here by now. We may not have much time. How are you feeling?" Will had stiffened up in the last hour and a half, and was certain that Deanna would be feeling the effects of their inactivity as well. "Please don't tell me that you have a backache Dee, tell me the whole truth." Deanna closed her eyes briefly assessing her physical condition. As she took those few precious moments, her unborn children moved strongly within her, stealing her breath. She paused, then opened her eyes.

"I'm feeling uncomfortable, although the pain seems to have subsided somewhat." When he frowned, she admitted, "I'm worried that there may be internal damage..to my kidney. How are you feeling? Were you able to sleep?" Deanna watched carefully, as Will slipped from the bed to stand beside it. It was evident from his pained expression and hunched posture, just how he felt, but still, she needed to ask.

"I'm feeling a little stiff, and yes, I managed to catch a nap. As for the rest of me, well the wrist isn't as painful. The ribs...well let's not talk about the ribs...ok?" She smiled and nodded, accepting the hand he offered to assist her from the bed. They worked as quickly as was physically possible, to assemble the supplies they would need to move again. A small argument erupted when Will refused to leave the room until Deanna had eaten.

"Deanna, you have to eat at least a snack...you can't continue on raw adrenaline. Now eat!" He handed her a few crackers spread with the jam he'd found earlier. She took them from him, and began to eat, finishing quickly. They looked at one another, knowing that they could be stepping from the relatively safe confines of the room, into a trap.

"Ready?" Will reached out and brushed a stray curl from Deanna's cheek. She curved a hand over his...

"No, but let's get going." They joined hands and moved to the door.

Bastrok, Matthews and Parsef turned to corner that led from "C Block", into "B Block", and stopped.....

"Shhhhhhh, listen!" Bastrok stood in the center of the corridor and listened intently, "Did you hear anything, Matthews??" He turned to the human behind him. The Astraxian, was crouched slightly, also listening for any sound of humanoid movement, other than their own. Up ahead, out of sight around the bend of the corridor, sounds of movement filtered back to them. Soft murmuring voices, echoed in the empty hallway. The Rikers......Bastrok immediately put his finger to his lips, not wanting to disclose their presence. Bastrok new that if he could here them...they could hear him. He motioned to Matthews and the lawyer to move to a position behind him...in single file. He reached down and slipped off his boots, motioning for them to do the same. The three men slipped down the corridor to the point where it curved to meet the next corridor. Bastrok moved slightly ahead of the other two men, and with his heart pounding in his ears, slowly put his head around the corner...the corridor before him ended in a wide set of double doors.....and was empty. He smiled and pulled back...they were trapped...the doors ahead opened into a large conference room...one way in...one way out...IF the rear doors were still secured by the bar lock that had been applied to all exterior doors when this building had been closed. Tension filled the air around the three men as they moved into the long corridor leading to them conference room...

"Deanna, let's see if there's a second way out of here. I don't want to be caught like rats in a maze. " He turned to find her staring at her reflection in the smoked glass, one hand on her cheek, the other on her abdomen. When she turned to face him...his breath caught in his throat...defeat was written on her features, as easily seen as the bruises that marred her porcelain skin.

"We're not going to get out of here...he's going to find us....and he'll kill us. It's over..." Will was speechless at the raw despair in her voice...This was so totally uncharacteristic of his wife, that it momentarily threw him.

"Deanna, it isn't over until it's over...We'll get out...I promise you...There's got to be another way out of here...every room in a building like this has two exits...we'll find this one and beyond that is freedom. He's not going to win...not this time......"

"Yes......yes...he will....he already has. I'm sorry.....I just......." Her voice trailed away, leaving the room still and silent. By now Will was standing right in front of her...looking down into tired, pain filled eyes. She was exhausted, weakened by the ordeal itself, her injuries, and worry for the babies and for him. He realized then that she was at the end of her strength, and that she couldn't be expected to continue much longer. A sound in the corridor, startled them both...

"We have to get out of here right now...Dee. I know that you're tired, and frightened...so am I...but I won't just sit here and let him take us without trying to find a way out! Come on...take my hand!" Will's voice was a low hissing whisper. He took Deanna's hand in has and pulled her along beside him to the end of the room, opposite the door.

The room they were in was some sort of conference room. It was nearly thirty feet long and twenty feet wide...a long oval table was the centerpiece. Heavy leather- covered chairs ringed the table. At the far end was a large viewscreen, which hung from brackets set into the ceiling...Will suspected that the exit door was behind the screen, and headed there. Deanna followed close behind him, gasping softly, as fear of capture hastened her steps. As they rounded the screen, the sound of the door release echoed into the room. Will looked ahead and saw an exit...with a bar lock firmly in place. Their eyes met.

The wide door into the room opened slowly. The soft hiss of it's passage sounded loud in the silence of the room...In the empty room??? Ahhhh.....yes...the exit door. Necessary only for emergencies. Bastrok thought to himself, if you were Will or Deanna Riker, now would be an emergency. He chuckled softly...he had them...and he'd kill them. The damned Betazoid bitch would die slowly...after watching her beloved husband choke on his own blood as he died before her eyes. She'd beg him to end her pain...and he would...maybe...

He motioned for the other two men to wait outside the door, disruptors armed and ready. He wasn't about to take any chances with Riker. The man was much stronger and smarter than he'd given him credit for....Bastrok moved towards the screen at the far end of the room.

Jean Luc Picard stood just outside the Riker's bungalow, as the security team, headed by Worf materialized. Picard smiled inwardly as he saw Beverly Crusher materialising as well. Good. She'd be needed if the young woman, Sadie, was accurate concerning the Riker's injuries. He motioned for Worf and Beverly to join him, beside the magistrate, who'd just arrived. Worf's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized Erik Pressman, standing beside the captain. A young human female stood in the circle of Pressman's arm. She'd been crying, and looked very anxious. Two armed security officers were standing, one on either side of the pair. He walked towards the captain.

"Mr. Worf, Captain Pressman and that young woman will be taking us to where Commander Riker and the counselor are being held....The woman is responsible for kidnapping Deanna, and should be watched carefully. Captain Pressman is under arrest as well. Assign a security officer to each of them...Let's get going." Beverly stepped towards the Captain, she lowered her voice and leaned towards him,

"Captain, do we have any knowledge of the extent of their injuries?" Picard turned, and in a similarly low voice, responded.

"I'm afraid not, Beverly. They have been severely abused by a Romulan officer, who is apparently out for revenge against Deanna. According to Captain Pressman and the young woman, she is responsible for killing his twin while being held on Eos....."

"Deanna? I can't believe she would be capable of murder."

"We'll have to sort out the details once we have them back safely. Until then, I have to trust that these two are telling the truth." Beverly made a sound of frustration...Deanna had been through a great deal in the last year. Her physical health was at risk, due to the injuries she'd suffered on Eos 3. And the fact that Deanna was 4 1/2 months pregnant with twins added an unknown variable into the situation. Had the preganacy been affected? Was she seriously injured? What about Will, were his injuries severe? Were they even together? So much was unknown, and she didn't like it. Not one bit. She turned towards Pressman...

"How could you do this? Will didn't do anything that any other Starfleet officer wouldn't have done. You're the cause of this, and if either Will, Deanna, or their children are permanently harmed. I'll see you're held responsible." Picard put a firm hand on Beverly's arm...as Sadie turned to face her. She held out a computer chip...

"Here Doctor...I did a bioscan on both Commander and Mrs. Riker when I opened their cells. This should give you all the medical information you need. It's 24 hours old, but will give you a better idea of their condition than you have now."

Beverly took the chip and inserted it into her tricorder...

"Good god Jean Luc! Look at these readings!"

Bastrok stepped around the viewscreen, his disruptor drawn, ready to fire. The area behind the screen was empty, and open door, mute evidence to the Riker's escape...

"Damn them both to hell!" He screamed...the door reopened to admit his two companions...

"They're in the stairwell! It leads to the causeway, into A Block, and those exits are unsecured! They'll escape! Get moving!" Matthews ran to where Bastrok stood, shaking with anger...

"Bas, the door to A block is locked...They can't leave the causeway! Matthews knew that the causeway was a dead end for the fleeing Rikers. The causeways were long glass tunnels twenty feet wide and fifteen yards long. They connected each floor of the main building...A Block, to each floor of the satellite buildings...B through D. They'd be trapped at the door leading from B to A, and he'd get them there, there was no escape. Bastrok looked him in the eye...

"They'd better be secure, or else." Matthews needed no further explanation. He moved past the Romulan and into the stairwell, his bare feet slapping loudly on the concrete of the stairs. Parsef turned to Bastrok...

"I think this is where our acquaintance ends Bastrok. I don't want to be involved in any killings...I only agreed to help Matthews get the Commander here, I didn't agree to help you kill him. I'm leaving." He turned away from the Romulan, and began to walk away....

"Not just yet, Parsef. You'll at least help us to find them and bring them back to their cells, after that you can go ...I won't have need of your services any further." Parsef looked at him, eyes narrowed...

"I have your word?" Bastrok nodded...

"Of course. you've done an excellent job. I couldn't have asked for a better assistant. You'll be able to walk away, no questions asked. Is that acceptable to you?" The lawyer's face betrayed no emotion, as he studied the Romulan's face. He wasn't convinced that Bastrok was sincere, that he ought to trust this man. But as the seconds ticked past, he realized that he had little choice.

"Alright, I'll help you find them, but then I'm leaving." He turned from the Romulan for a second, and missed the wily grin, that spread across his features. Bastrok followed Matthews down into the stairwell.

Chapter 39

Picard exited the transport, just behind the Astraxian magistrate. He looked around and saw what looked like a hospital rising up from the top of a low hill. It stood about 150 meters from where they stood.

"Officer Lyxasna? What is this place?" Picard turned to man behind him, as Pressman, Sadie and the remainder of Worf's team joined them near the transport. The magistrate pulled himself up and assumed an air of importance...

"This once was the finest training facility for security personnel. But recently, the facility was closed in favor of a new, larger one on the other side of the city. It is mostly closed down, with little power, and limited access. It would be difficult to even gain access to the main building, let alone the satellite structures." He frowned, looking towards Sadie and Pressman. "I fail to see how it could have been used for the purpose of holding your officers captive. There is no power, and everything is dependent upon a small fusion generator!" Sadie moved forward, only to be restrained by the Enterprise security officer.

"Captain Picard, I swear that they are here! I brought Deanna Riker here, to a side entrance, hidden by those hedges over there." She pointed to a large group of hedges that were planted in close proximity to the structure on the right hand side. "You have to hurry, Bastrok is getting very close to them now...it won't be long before he captures them again." Picard looked closely at her.

"How do you know he's close to them. You can't possibly be sure." He paused and studied her face, as she stared back at him, her nod barely noticeable, giving him his answer.

"Yes, Captain, I am human, and I am a telepath. Bastrok is telepathic as well, but has very limited abilities. He forced me to link my mind with his and use it against Will Riker. It was one of the ways he prevented the commander from communicating with his wife." Sadie waited impatiently for Picard to respond to her admission. Beverly Crusher interrupted..

"Jean Luc, we need to get to them soon. Will has several fractured ribs, any one of which could puncture a lung, and Deanna has a severely bruised kidney that is seeping blood. It isn't life threatening...yet, but she and her children could be in serious jeopardy if she is handled roughly." Crusher looked at him, staring him down..."I could order you to proceed..." He looked up sharply...

"That will not be necessary, Doctor. Let's get a move on...Worf, take the point, we'll follow. I don't want anyone hurt." He and his team spread out across the hillside and moved up the gentle slope to the building above them.

On the opposite side of the building,on the second floor, Will and Deanna continued their flight down the stairs. Both were trembling with exhaustion and pain, perspiration bathed their faces. They reached the bottom of the stairwell and threw open an adjoining door. Ahead of them was a long glass causeway. Will judged it to be fifteen or twenty feet wide, and fifteen yards long, with a door at the other end. Will could hear Deanna gasping for breath, as she leaned against the wall,

"They're....right.....behind.......us.........I can..........hear them....on the.......stairs...........I can't.....run.......any......more......I.....hurt.........." She panted out the words, her face pale.

"Dee......... I........... know you're........ in pain...so........ am I, but........ we can't....... stop here...it..will be ......suicide. Please sweetheart, .....a ....little.....further.......?" Deanna looked up into his face, so swollen and bruised, hating to say the words...to admit her weakness.

"Will.......I'm sorry......I'm just not.....strong enough.....I'm sorry..." her voice broke as he took her hand and pulled her away from the door. His ribs shrieking in agony, white hot shards of pain stealing his breath as he all but carried her down into the causeway. He could hear her soft gasps of pain as she forced herself to move with him. Deanna didn't complain, she knew that she'd have to keep up. Tears blinded her, as the agony in her back spread through to her abdomen. A cramp, grabbed at the muscles of her back and lower belly, streaking down into her thighs. Her legs lost the ability to move, she stumbled, pulling Will down with her, midway through the glass tunnel. Will groaned aloud as he twisted his body to the side to avoid falling on her. His ribs felt as though they were ripping through his skin. He lay there beside her...gasping for breath, struggling not to vomit with the pain. Beside him on the floor, Deanna rolled into a small ball, whimpering with the force of her pain. Sounds of ragged breathing filled the tunnel, neither was able to move as they heard the sounds of running feet approaching from the stairs they'd just exited. The door slammed back as their captors pounded into the causeway, just ten feet from where they lay...helpless.

Data to Picard>>

Picard here. What is it Data?>>

Sir I have located an unknown energy source, approximately 30 meters from your position. Logic dictates that it is a dampening field, which would explain why sensors have been unable to locate any lifesigns in the vicinity of the security office or its environs.>>

Data we are standing approximately 30 meters from a structure, once used as a training facility. Could the dampening field obscure this structure?>>

Yes sir, it would explain why we were unable to detect the structure. I have pinpointed the source of the energy signature. It is a small fusion generator, located in a small structure near your position. You should be able to power down the generator manually sir. It will take approximately fifteen minutes.>>

Data, can you isolate the power source and destroy it from the ship, without damaging any nearby structures? It is imperative that we locate the commander and counselor as soon as possible>>

Yes sir, a fine tuned phaser hit will eliminate the generator and the field in three minutes>>

Make it so Data. Picard out>>

Aye sir. Enterprise out.>>

They waited crouched on the hillside as a blue bolt of light flashed down from the sky, hitting the small rectangular structure to the north of them. There was a muted rumbling explosion and the building was vaporized. Picard stood up along with the rest of their group and continued up the hillside.

Will lay on his side gasping for breath as knife like pain sliced into his chest with every breath. Punctured lung...he thought to himself, as he struggled to draw a breath.

~~~~Deanna? Talk to me. How are you?

~~~~Will...I don't know...the pain is worse, cramping in my stomach, my back hurts. You?

~~~~Are the babies all right? Deanna felt her heart clench...he WOULD ask about the twins before worrying about himself.

~~~~I don't know...

Bastrok walked out to where they lay, and looked down at them.

"So...we meet yet again my little dove. Are you in pain my dear?" He crouched beside Deanna's huddled figure, reaching to brush her hair from her face. Will watched as she flinched away from his touch...

"Don't!" She gasped between clenched teeth.

"Now, now...I can help you. Get you medical attention...would you like that?" Deanna closed her eyes, shutting out the Romulan's face. He turned to Will..

"Commander, you might want to look closely at my companions...I think you;d be very interested in their identities." The Romulan turned to his companions...

"Gentlemen, please. Don't be shy. Come...let the commander meet the men who finally gave him his due." Will raised his head and gasped in shock...Chase Matthews and his lawyer, Liam Parsef stood slightly behind Bastrok, trying hard to meet his gaze.

"YOU!" He gasped, as another wave of pain lanced through him..."Why?? What did I ever do to either of you! Why Deanna? She's........ahhhhhhh...she's innocent!?" He felt a crushing sense of suffocation stealing his breath, as the pain centered deep in his right chest. He coughed and a thin trail of bloody foam appeared, slipping from the corner of his mouth. Matthews didn't answer, but Parsef turned back to the Romulan..

"This is where I leave Bastrok....I don't want anything to do with this. these two people are innocent. I'll not be a party to injuring them further." He paused while the Romulan turned his attention from the Rikers.

"Yes, yes...Liam. Of course you want to leave.... and I did say that you be leaving us when we found my little dove and her husband..."

"Don't call me that!" Deanna hissed, then she groaned as another cramp seized her.

"Tsk tsk, my dove. One would think you were angry with me." Bastrok laughed quietly...and returned his attention to the Astraxian. "So you want to get out of here?"

"Yes Bastrok, I'm finished."

"Yes, you are Parsef...you are finished." Bastrok fired his disruptor...and killed him on the spot. Deanna's scream rang out, as the Astraxian's body stiffened, and fell, landing beside her, his eyes open and glazed in death. Her scream died in her throat as she turned away. Will reached for her, hissing...as he clutched her hand to his chest...

"You bastard! Hasn't she been through enough?!"

~~~~~Imzadi don't provoke him...please...

"Oh no, Commander...she'll go through much much more...before this is over." He walked closer to where Will lay, and bent close to him...

"She'll watch you die, then she'll truly know my pain." Will lashed out with his good hand, catching the Romulan in the side of the head...the pain causing the Romulan to gasp aloud. Emerald eyes locked with sapphire...

"You'll pay for that my friend...dearly." He made to rise to his feet, stepping on Will's injured wrist.

The agony of the broken bones being ground together, ripped through Will's body, his lung prevented the scream his body demanded. All he was able to manage was a long high pitched gasp. In a way it was worse than a scream.

"Dammit! Bas! that's enough! Let's just get the hell out of here...someone is here..my tricorder just came back online...someone has deactivated the dampening field...I'll bet it's Picard. "

"Shut up Matthews...they don't know we're even here...unless.........

~~~~~Bastrok..........let them go NOW!!!!!! Sadie's voice echoed through Bastrok's mind.........

Outside.........

"He has them Captain....." Sadie turned sad eyes on Picard. "His mind is......." she shuddered.....as the essence of the Romulan's mind flowed into hers. "Malevolent ,twisted, evil, tainted by the desire for revenge. They won't come out of there alive...you have to go in now. He's ready to snap!" Picard nodded........

Enterprise to Picard...second floor causeway, rear of the building.>> Picard, Crusher, Worf and two security guards began to run towards the rear of the building...Pressman, Sadie, and the last three guards followed a distance behind. As Picard ran, he heard Data's voice continue to update...

One dead, identity unknown...Lifesigns indicate....4 alive....two humans, both male...one half human, half Betazoid female, and one Romulan, also male sir. Commander Riker is in extreme respiratory distress from a collapsed lung. The counselor is experiencing internal bleeding from a renal contusion, and is experiencing preterm contractions.

"My god, Jean Luc...the babies!"

Beam...them...out...of there....Data>>> Picard voice was roughened by his run up the hill.

Unable to comply...transporters are affected by a jamming signal...a residual of the dampening field...>>

"Dammit...we're almost there! Continue to monitor those lifesigns and beam them out as soon as possible. Picard out.>>

"Dammit Jean Luc! We have to get them out of there! They've been through enough...if Deanna loses the babies, or Will, I can't guarantee her sanity! If I stood by and let it happen, I'd never forgive myself! Let's MOVE!" She grabbed her medkit close to her body and took off, outdistancing Picard in a few long strides....

Sadie continued to monitor Bastrok, telepathically, carefully shielding her own mind from his. She tried to reach Deanna or Will to reassure them that help was on the way...but Deanna's pain and her pregnancy had closed her mind to all but her husband. Will was in too much pain to focus at all, his mind came through in shades of red .Relief flowed through her as she saw Picard and his team reach the door to the A Block building...Just above them was the causeway, and their frineds...

"Hurry Captain...hurry!" Pressman squeezed her hand...

"You've done all that you could...all anyone could do."

"But it may not be enough. I don't want the blood of that woman or her babies on my hands, Erik. Not now...." He looked at her...but didn't question further...just held her hand.

Chapter 40

Bastrok reached down and grabbed Deanna's arm, pulling her to her feet. Deanna cried out in pain, but managed to get to her feet, to stand bent over; her hand holding her belly. Will tried to sit up, managing only to tear the delicate pulmonary tissue further. Despite the sheer agony the movement caused, he used his good arm as leverage and dragged himself to the wall of glass.

"No.........don't........touch......her.......I'll....kill.......you." Will was breathing very rapidly, but his color was ashen. Blood streaked foam dripped onto his shirt. Deanna tried hard to reach out to him in her mind...but he was fading, as pain and lack of adequate oxygen stole his strength. Bastrok laughed uproariously..........

"Oh really? tell me Commander? How will you do that? You can't even breathe! This little dove will be so tasty...once she's cleaned up...really my dear you do look a little rough!"

Deanna gasped as another...contraction, ripped through her abdomen. She felt her control slip...her babies were in trouble...her husband was dying before her eyes...and this .......this lunatic had them all in the palm of his hand. They were all going to die...all these years...they'd waited.........for this?! Her eyes met Will's........

~~~~~I love you.

~~~~~Don't Dee....please.........

~~~~~I love you.

She reached down deep into the depths of her soul, found her center and pushed back the pain...Matthews was slowly turning towards the opposite end of the tunnel, as sounds began to be heard from behind the far door...as he turned, his disruptor turned with him, and away from Will. Deanna reacted...

What followed seemed to happen in slow motion.......Matthew's mouth dropped open in surprise as the door at the opposite end of the tunnel was vaporized from the outside...Both he and Bastrok turned, to see who had found them When the Romulan turned, he loosened his hold on Deanna's arm...when he did, Deanna went wild...she screamed, bit him, drove her heel into the instep of his foot and finally slammed the elbow of her free arm into his throat! Instinctively, he reached for his throat, dropping the weapon and releasing her at the same time. She hit the floor at the same time as both the Romulan and the disruptor....Will lay helpless watching as a phaser blast slammed Matthews into the wall across from him....Deanna reached for the disruptor...and got it, just as Bastrok lurched to his knees. Confusion reigned as Crusher, Picard and Worf ran into the tunnel, shouting Will and Deanna's names. They froze when they saw the tableau unfolding before them.

"Don't.......move..........." Deanna's voice was low and deadly...as she held a fully charged disruptor, aimed at the center of the Romulan's chest. The delicate hands were rock steady on the weapon, and her gaze never wavered. She was on her knees...facing him...less than six feet away. No one moved...this time emerald eyes met onyx. Glittering, angry, pain-filled onyx eyes, that drilled into Bastrok; in that moment, he saw his death in her eyes.

"So my little dove...the tide has turned...go ahead kill me. You know you want to." Bastrok's voice was soft and compelling.

""Be quiet!" Deanna pressed one hand to her belly. "I'll .........do all .......of the talking...you'll...do....all of the..........listening."

"Are you in pain, my dove? Too bad your bastards won't live to see the daylight. But then you never gave me a choice did you! I had to hurt you, you nearly killed me."

"No! I didn't mean to hurt you...I was defending myself. You fell on the knife." Deanna's voice took on a pleading note, as though she were trying to convince herself.

~~~~No! Imzadi...........it was his TWIN who died! Remember! The man who died was named Balosk. NOT Bastrok! As his voice echoed in her mind, Will gasped for breath, turning his gaze on Beverly and Picard...

"Please....help.........us.......she.......doesn't ......even......know........" Will couldn't continue...succumbing to the blackness that had been threatening the edges of his consciousness. Deanna didn't turn; not to look behind her, or to look at the Enterprise officers. She simply spoke to them from her position before the Romulan...

"Beverly...go to him......help Will. He's ........he's........." Her lips couldn't form the words...

"Dying, my dove?" Bastrok sneered, "What can't say the words?"

"Shut up! Dammit! You've done enough! You've nearly killed my husband...my babies..........gods my babies may die...but you'll pay! I'll make you pay! I have to make you pay!" Her breathing became ragged as pain filled her mind and body...she began to sway.

Bevrly Crusher wiped angry tears from her cheeks as prodded Jean Luc...

"Talk to her, she trusts you. She's about to collapse!"

"Counselor," he began, "Deanna...listen to me. He isn't going anywhere. I promise. We'll take him back to the ship...he'll stand trial...and be sent to a maximum security center." Picard was inching forward, in hopes of reaching her before she killed the man or further injured herself. She saw the movement from the corner of her eye...

"Please Captain, don't come closer. I'll shoot him...or accidentally shoot you sir...please stay back. Beverly please..." Crusher moved behind Deanna and ran a tricorder over Will. He looked up at her through slitted eyes. "Stabilize .........me as .........much as you can Bev...I have........ to.......... talk......... her........... through............. this. She's........... trapped between ...........reality .............and her ..............memories." He fell silent as the Romulan's velvety voice echoed through the tunnel. He sensed a weakening in Deanna's resolve....she was in obvious pain...but wouldn't give in to it.

"Ah.....my dove..........you cannot continue...you're in pain...the little ones are in danger...." Deanna swayed once more, then seemed to recover her strength.

"You can't control me this time...I'm stronger now, I can resist you...you'll die knowing that I beat you! I won this time. You hurt me, raped and ......beat me, humilated me. I nearly lost myself...I let you win once before. Well no more! Do you hear? NO MORE!" She was screaming now, tears falling, blurring her vision...Beverly worked feverishly to stabilize Will's respiration. He had to be taken to sickbay, and soon, she'd give him five minutes, no more. She didn't have a clear picture as to the extent of Troi's condition...but had observed that she was having contractions fairly frequently. She needed medical attention soon as well.

"Captain..take the rest of the casualties, and move out of the tunnel...Deanna is distraught, irrational, and not in control of herself. Let's give them some room..Will is going to try to reach her." Beverly administered a reoxygenation compound into Will's blood stream. She stabilized his chest, with a gel pak, along with a pneumoxygeneration pump. The pump acted as a sort of "pulmonary bypass" for injured lungs. The generator, infused outgoing blood with compound oxygen molecules, while removing carbon dioxide molecules from the returning blood. It could, at best, give Will Riker ten minutes, without further intervention She applied the pump, activated it, and moved a distance away. Picard withdrew with Matthews' unconscious body, along with Worf, and the two security officers.

"Dee, .......it's time to........ go...let .......Worf take........... Bastrok to the brig. he'll be.................. kept under........... 24 ...............hour guard." Will fought to stay conscious, to send comfort and reassurance to her.

"No! He'll come back for me. He always comes back! He'll hurt us again. I have to stop him!"

"No, baby...The captain...........will......stop....him for........you. You.....and ......I, WE need......to get.......to sickbay......the babies........are in trouble.......I am in trouble, and so are you." Bastrok used a subliminal brush to Deanna's mind...she flinched and shook her head.

"Now, my dove don't listen to him...he'll get you into more trouble...like always...he'll leave you...he'll die and leave you!"

Will felt his heart pounding...a "fish flopping" feeling, as though it would leap out of his chest."

"Deanna, listen ........to me........I can't....keep this.....up.......I want ....to go.....home.....with.......you......have our.....babies..........love you.....please Dee, think of the babies.........." Will began to tremble violently, he couldn't keep his vision clear.

"Deanna.............."

Deanna stole a quick look at him, and let her guard down..Bastrok had been waiting for just such a moment of weakness. He lunged...but he underestimated the Betazoid's reflexes...

"Nooooooo!!!!" she screamed, as she turned. Bastrok's body shimmered out of existence as the transporter gripped them. Bastrok materialized to face the three fully charged phasers of a security detail, and was escorted to the brig. The Riker's materialized on the floor in the central treatment room of sickbay...two teams of doctors and nurses surrounded them...Within minutes, one team was working on Deanna, the other on Will. Beverly stood at Will's side attempting to stabilize his heart rate before taking him to surgery...that was her priority, the superficial injuries...fractured nose, wrist, and various cuts and abrasions could wait until later. for now...the heart rate had to be stabilized.

"Go......to .....her.......the.....babies......save her.......and babies........" his vision faded to black. Beverly looked up at Deanna's bioreadings...She had several superficial cuts and bruises, but she was in better shape physically than Will, except for preterm contractions, and a large renal contusion. Alarms beeped as a contraction gripped the slender counselor drawing a low groan of pain from her lips.

"Will?"

~~~~I'm here, Deanna. I'll be fine......rest...let Selar care for you.

Deanna tried to center...

~~~~You rest as well, we'll be fine. To Selar she whispered...

"Please........my babies......" A nurse took her hand, and squeezed it gently...as they moved her to a treatment area across the room. Once there, Dr. Selar turned to her assistant...

"The counselor has a serious contusion to her right kidney...with some seepage of blood. Let us get a clear renal ultrascan, as well as blood and urine samples. Have two units of ABP pos blood ready for transfusion. Assign a fetal monitor for each twin, adminitser 20cc Tylaxine for pain. When I have finished reviewing the preliminary results, I will determine whether or not she will require surgical intervention." Selar turned to a technician, "Prepare and inject 30cc magsulphate...continue the medication every 4 hours until contractions have ceased . It is vital that we halt the premature contractions. The fetuses are of approximately 16 weeks gestation...heart rates are strong and healthy. If we control the labor, the prognosis is quite good. Selar looked down into Deanna's grief ravaged face...

"Please Selar," she whispered, "Don't let my babies die." Selar placed a hand on her shoulder...

"I shall do my best, Counselor. I am giving you medication to relax you, you will feel sleepy, calm... Now rest." Selar nodded to a technician who administered a hypospray. Deanna's body visibly relaxed, and her eyes drifted shut.

"Thank you, Selar." she murmured.

Crusher relaxed as the unemotional voice of the Vulcan gave exactly the right orders...Deanna was in good hands. She turned her attention back to Will Riker, and began to stablize his vitals.

"Alyssa, administer 20cc Demnerol, electrolytes, and 30 cc anaproviline." Will had two fractured ribs, one of which had punctured his lung; the puncture had caused a large hemothorax of his right side. Blood was collecting in the space between his lung and the chest wall which was compressing his lung...She would have to drain the blood and reinflate the lung, both could be accomplished in surgery. Beverly activated a mediscanner, and lowered it over Riker's chest...Readings indicating the severity of the trauma to his lung, began to come up on the panel on the top of the scanner. Beverly deftly administered a hypospray, and watched as Will fell asleep. Two technicians, guided the stretcher into surgery.

"Beverly?" Deanna's soft voice carried across the room. Crusher walked back to the biobed that Deanna lay on...

"Yes, Dee? What is it?" Tears filled Crusher's eyes as they filled her friends.

"Beverly, don't let him.......die......please. I need...him." She placed a tender hand on her abdomen..."We need him...please?" Beverly took Deanna's hand in her own,

"I promise that I'll do my very best. you have my word." Bevrly held the slender hand for the time it took for her to fall into an uneasy sleep, then turned to follow Will's stretcher into surgery.

In Sickbay, the following morning......

Beverly Crusher stood outside the window of the isolation ward, carefully observing her two VIP patients. She had placed Will and Deanna Riker side by side in the large private room, at the rear of sickbay. Although the room was normally used for patients who required isolation for contagious diseases, it also afforded the Commander and his wife the opportunity to recuperate in private. The couple's unusually close relationship, as Imzadi, made their treatment/care a little more..."interesting", since both tended to heal much more quickly and easily when they were together. She and Selar had been up half the night before, checking on them, and reviewing test results and surgical procedures. Both Will and Deanna had needed surgery last evening, and had been returned to their room at midnight. Both had come through surgery very well, and would make a complete recovery. Selar was confident that Deanna would carry her twins to full term as well...since the magsulphate seemed to have stopped the contractions after only two doses...Both were sleeping normally. Beverly jumped when a hand grasped her shoulder.

"Hello Doctor, how are they?" Picard stood just behind her, watching the two patients in the room before them. Beverly laid a gentle hand over his....

"Good. There were no major complications duringWill's surgery...fortunately the lung was punctured in only one place, and all of his other injuries were superficial. His nose will be slightly crooked though. I hope Deanna doesn't mind. He's very strong and healthy, so I expect him to make a full recovery. I'd like to take him off active duty for a week or two...he'll complain , but he's overdue for extended personal leave."

Picard agreed, " It's the perfect time for him to take it...with the border attacks over, and the charges against him dropped." Beverly's eyes widened slightly. They both turned as Will and Deanna moved in perfect unison, into a more comfortable position on their beds. Picard shook his head...

"They scare me sometimes..being so in tune with one another, so....connected. I guess I never realized how much they loved one another...or what being "imzadi" really meant." Beverly nodded, not bothering to try to explain that they really hadn't a clue as to what being Imzadi meant. All she knew was that it must be very special, and wonderful.

Chapter 41

Deanna slowly pushed her way through the mists that blurred her consciousness. Her mouth was dry, it felt as though her lips were attached to her teeth...She tried to moisten them, but seemed to be unable to produce any moisture in her mouth.

~~~~~Little Dove? Can you hear me???This isn't over...no not yet..........you'll see.

Deanna began to tremble...as fear and revulsion stole over her bringing her at last to full awareness. Consciousness came abruptly then. One moment she was asleep, the next, fully awake and alert,

"Will ? Imzadi?? Where..." Her hand instinctively seeking out the curve of her abdomen, as Deanna tried to sit up, but was laid flat by the sharp ache in her back. Beverly had seen her awaken and the look of total panic that swiftly followed her return to consciousness. She was at the side of the biobed in seconds, to comfort and reassure her friend.

"Easy does it Deanna. You're all right, and so are the twins. Do you remember what happened?" Deanna grasped both of Beverly's hands in her own...her face pale. She swallowed hard, and struggled to breathe past the fear. Beverly reached for a glass of water by the bed, and helped Deanna to sip the cool liquid. Deanna swallowed several sips, her eyes grateful.

"I...yes...surgery...Beverly...he's....here. I can't block him...Will, where is Will?" Her eyes darted frantically from side to side, not seeing Will lying on the bed nearby, on the other side of the room. "He's still alive...isn't he? Please..where..." Beverly recognized that Deanna's confusion was the result of the medication she had been given to make her sleep. She'd had strong reactions to narcotics ever since Beverly had known her. Tears were beginning to fall as Beverly reached for a hypospray to counteract the medication's effects.

"Just hang on Dee. Let this medication take effect...Will is right there beside you...he's fine...just sleeping. Come on...relax." Deanna felt the warmth of the drug flow into her limbs, and let herself go with it. Gradually, her sense of Will and her babies returned, bringing a profound feeling of comfort to her tortured mind. Unfortunately her fears remained, as the "taste" of the Romulan lingered in her mind. He would be back to get her, and this time he wouldn't fail. Beverly was looking at her, her expression intent. She 'd seen the look of panic, that Deanna had hidden, as swiftly as the panic had appeared.

"Dee, talk to me. What is it that has you so frightened? You're safe here, the Romulan is under guard in the brig." She pulled a chair up to the edge of the bed, raising the head slightly; making it easier for Deanna to see her. Deanna turned her face away from her friend..she couldn't tell her. It would be admitting that he'd won...again. She felt as though her identity was hanging on by a thread...Silence was the only answer that Beverly Crusher received as Deanna closed her eyes and blocked out the sheltering reality that sickbay provided. Crusher sighed gustily...Deanna had always found it difficult to air her own feelings and vulnerabilities, though she'd was exceptionally good at getting others to talk about theirs. There was little point in pursuing the issue, until Deanna was ready to talk. Beverly suspected that her friend would hold it all inside until the commander was able to talk her through it. She sighed...

"I'll tell Selar that you're awake..she'll want to examine you. I'll just be a moment." Deanna opened her eyes and watched as the doctor walked out of the room. She needed her husband's strong and calm presence. Will would take her fears away...he could make the nightmare end at last. She closed her eyes once more, waiting for Selar...

Later that evening, Beverly returned to the Riker's room, to find Will Riker sitting on the edge of his wife's bed, holding her close. Deanna's face was hidden from her view, and Will shook his head as she entered.

"Try to let go of the fear Dee. Bastrok is under heavy guard...he can't get out." Deanna murmured something unintelligible, and Will turned angry eyes on Beverly.

"He's been contacting you telepathically?" Will reached down and tipped her chin up, making her meet his eyes.

"Yes" She looked away, again Will turned her face to meet his gaze...

"Don't shut me out, Dee. I can't help you if you do. None of this is your fault. Is there any chance you can block him?" He searched her eyes, and she his...knowing that she'd never be able to hide her need of his strength right now. Deanna sighed, her shoulders dropping, as she shuddered and pressed close once more.

"No. He's too strong for me...I'm too frightened of him." Will tightened his embrace...Deanna was slipping back into the profound vulnerability that she'd tried so hard to overcome after her rescue from Eos. That bastard had robbed her of her self confidence and self esteem, much the same way that his brother before him had done. Paxa would have to be notified.

"I can help you if you let me." Sadie stood in the doorway behind Beverly...all three looked up to see her standing with her hands behind her back...

"Get out of here, you helped him do this to us.... to her. You've got a real nerve to come here at all." Will slipped from the bed to stand between Deanna and the door. Sadie stepped inside the doorway.

"Commander I know that you won't believe me, but I was a much Bastrok's victim as your wife was...she knows how persuasive he can be...he insinuates himself into your mind...I couldn't help myself...he drugged me too. But I want to help undo some of the damage that I helped him to cause. Please...I know how important your wife and children are to you...I want to help."

"How could you possibly know? You have no children." Sadie's hand went to her abdomen..."No, not yet...but in eight months, Erik and I will have our first child together. That is why he and I went to the captain and helped in your rescue..."

Will and Beverly stood silently, neither knowing whether to trust what she said wanting to help Deanna made them want to trust her...and yet...

"I'll talk to her..." Deanna's calm voice made the decision for them...Will turned to her, a question in his eyes, and in his mind..

~~~~Imzadi? Are you sure?

~~~~Yes, she's the only one on board who truly knows, and understands. She alone has the potential to help me...I'll be all right...you can stay...

Will nodded once and pulled a chair to the edge of the bed. He motioned for Sadie to come in...   
  
  
  


Two weeks later.......

Sickbay was bustling with activity, on the morning that Deanna Riker stopped in for a prenatal visit. Several people waved or called out a friendly greeting as she walked through the main treatment area, on her way to Beverly's office. They'd agreed to meet there prior to her physical. Beverly was relaxing with her feet up, when she rounded the corner.

"Hey there Dee! How are you today?" She smiled as she looked her friend up and down. Deanna had gained some weight, and was beginning to get very rounded. At just over 18 weeks into her pregnancy, the twins were growing rapidly, and their mother's petite frame grew visibly larger every day as they grew. She looked rested, and healthy. Only the occasional looks of anxiety, and some nasty mightmares gave clues as to her mental state. She was still very fragile emotionally, which was why the captain had agreed to allow she and Will to debark at the next starbase.

"Hello Beverly, I'm feeling wonderful today...no nausea, and I slept through the night." Deanna smoothed her tunic over her stomach and sat down in front of Beverly's desk. "Did the Captain tell you that Will and I are leaving the ship at Starbase 415? We're taking personal leave for a month...We're going to take a shuttle to Earth, to Valdez...and relax...I'll be glad to get there...it's been ten years since we were there together." A shadow clouded her features to be replaced swiftly with a smile...

"Will is coming to this visit. He should be here shortly. You did say you'd do a scan today?" Beverly nodded.

"Yup, I want to see the babies...and get a look at your kidney at the same time Ok?" Deanna nodded.

"Sure." She turned slightly and got a faraway look in her eyes. "Will is here." She turned even before they heard his voice on the outer office area, Beverly chuckled and stood up...

"I get the shivers when you do that Dee." It was Deanna's turn to smile...

"Sorry...it just happens...like breathing I guess." Will caught sight of her through the glass that formed the wall of the office, and smiled. He rounded the door frame, his big body filling the opening. He looked wonderful to both women...tall, handsome, and fully recovered from his injuries...save the slightly crooked nose.

"Hi ladies! How's my lovely bride today? Missed you at breakfast...you were up early." He bent and pressed a kiss on Deanna's lips, looking at her intently. She colored slightly...

"I did get up early. I wanted to go to my office for awhile. I needed to make sure that everything was prepared for Commander Dalton to take over for me." Will nodded. Chelsea Dalton was Deanna's "right hand man", so to speak, stepping in for her when she was held captive, and again when she was on Betazed. Things would run smoothly with her skilled hands running the psychology department while Deanna was away again.

"I thought you might have done that, I assume that you've eaten?" At her nod, he turned to Beverly...

"We'll dock at Starbase 415, in three hours...let's do the scan...I want to see our little ones." He smiled at his wife and took her hand, together the three went across main sickbay to the ultrascan room. Twenty minutes later they were looking at two perfect little girls...both healthy and active, both almost the same size.

"Everything looks wonderful, Deanna. The twins are doing fine, and seem to have suffered no ill effects." Beverly smiled down at her friend, who had tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Beverly, I know that they'll be born healthy." Deanna didn't articulate the thought that plagued her every waking moment, her babies were going to be fine...as was Will. But would she, ever feel safe again? Would she ever be able to resume her duties aboard the Enterprise...especially Bridge duty? Time would be the telling factor, as a professional psychologist she knew that, but the fear remained nonetheless. Beverly watched as Will and Deanna left sickbay, holding hands tightly. They had been through a great deal in the last year, Deanna especially. Her friend had changed, no longer the calm self assured Deanna Troi that she'd known all these years. There was a sadness, a hesitancy about her that hadn't been there before. She startled if anyone came up behind her, and rarely ventured out of her quarters. She wasn't as confident as before. Beverly sighed...would Deanna ever fully recover? Time would tell. She shook her head and returned to her office. Once there, she went about hutting down her computer and setting her files in order, that done, she left for the day.   
  



End file.
